It’s a decision she says brings her peace of mind for her own safety and that of her family.

“I want to know (my granddaughter is) safe when she’s with me,” Brown said. She is one of thousands in Weld County to apply for a concealed carry permit so far this year, far surpassing the number of residents who did the same last year.

Whether the political will for gun control comes from Washington or Denver (or New york or Hollywood) is entirely irrelevant; law-abiding citizens intuitively know that their best option for self-protection is a firearm.

The trend in Weld County, Colorado (the subject of the linked article) is being replicated across the state of Colorado, and is largely mirrored in “shall issue” concealed carry permit states across the nation.

Law enforcement officers do no carry a gun to protect you. Law enforcement officers carry a gun to protect themselves, and they are spread incredibly thinly; the odds of an officer being there at the exact moment you need someone with a gun is infinitely remote.

You, and you alone, are responsible for your safety. Over the past decade, more and more Americans seem to be grasping that inalienable truth.